Shenzhou docks manually with Tiangong
Posted: Sun, Jun 24, 2012, 11:03 AM ET (1503 GMT)
In a new demonstration of Chinese space capabilities, a crewed Shenzhou spacecraft safely undocked with an orbiting lab module Sunday and then redocked under manual control. The Shenzhou-9 spacecraft redocked with the Tiangong-1 module at 12:48 am EDT (0448 GMT, 12:48 pm Beijing time) under manual control, about an hour and a half after undocking from the module. Shenzhou-9 initially docked with the module on Monday in automated mode, but this maneuver, where the spacecraft pulled away to a distance of 400 meters before returning, was doing manually. Official Chinese media said the manual docking demonstrated that China had "completely grasped" rendezvous and docking technologies and was on track to develop a full-fledged space station by 2010. Shenzhou-9, carrying a three-person crew, will undock from the station for good later this week and return to Earth.
In a new demonstration of Chinese space capabilities, a crewed Shenzhou spacecraft safely undocked with an orbiting lab module Sunday and then redocked under manual control. The Shenzhou-9 spacecraft redocked with the Tiangong-1 module at 12:48 am EDT (0448 GMT, 12:48 pm Beijing time) under manual control, about an hour and a half after undocking from the module. Shenzhou-9 initially docked with the module on Monday in automated mode, but this maneuver, where the spacecraft pulled away to a distance of 400 meters before returning, was doing manually. Official Chinese media said the manual docking demonstrated that China had "completely grasped" rendezvous and docking technologies and was on track to develop a full-fledged space station by 2010. Shenzhou-9, carrying a three-person crew, will undock from the station for good later this week and return to Earth.| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Monday, February 24
Gilmour Space announces launch window for Australia’s first sovereign orbital rocket
Gilmour Space — 5:11 am ET (1011 GMT) Gilmour Space Sets Mid-March Launch Window
Space and Defense — 5:11 am ET (1011 GMT) Gilmour Space moves company to launch campaign mode
InnovationAus.com — 5:10 am ET (1010 GMT) Gilmour Space’s first rocket launch from Queensland is just weeks away
Startup Daily — 5:10 am ET (1010 GMT) Australia’s first sovereign orbital rocket to take flight
InDaily (Australia) — 5:10 am ET (1010 GMT) |
